Railway car loading and unloading apparatus



Feb. 10, 1942. G. F. WIESE ,9

RAILWAY CAR LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS I Filed Nov. 7, 1938 10 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 10, 1942. wlEsE 2,272,958

RAILWAY CAR LOADING AND'UNLOADING APPARATUS I Filed Nov. 7, 1938 10 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 10, 1942.

G. F. WIESE 2,272,958

RAILWAY CAR LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 7, 1938 10 She ets-Sheet 5 56 h u I 52 57 "I- 56 x l if Ji A Feb. 10, 1942. w s 2,272,958

RAILWAY CAR LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 7, 1938 '10 Sheets-Sheet 4 92 S N s Feb. 10, 1942. g, F, wnzs 2,272,958

RAILWAY CAR LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 7, ,1938 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 I 1 1M 5 bs .100 g 96 G. F. WIESE Feb. 10, 1942.

RAILWAY CAR LOADING AND UNLOADIN G APPARATUS Filed Nov. 7, 193-8 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 Feb. 10, 1942. e. F. wuzss 3 RAILWAY CAR LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS Feb. 10, 1942. G, F, WIESE v 2372,958

RAILWAY CAR LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 7, 1938 1O Sheets-Sheet 8 Feb 10, 1942. G. F. WIESE 2,272,958

RAILWAY CAR LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS Filed Nov. '7', 1938 10 SheetS-Sheet 10 Patented Feb. 10, 1942 RAILWAY CAR, LOADING AND UNLOADING APPARATUS George F. Wiese, Louisville, American Creosoting Company,

Ky., assignor to Inc., Louisville,

a corporation of Delaware Application November 7, 1938, Serial No. 239,401.

18 Claims.

This invention relates to mechanism for loading and unloading railway cars.

An object of the invention is to provide mechanism for picking up articles from a point adjacent a box car and delivering them to any point within the car at either end thereof, or forpicking up articles from any point within the car and stacking them or delivering them to a truck or tram alongside the car.

Another object of the invention is to provide mechanism particularly adapted to transfer railway ties or other material from a loading tram to a freight car and stack them at any point in either end of the car or adapted to remove ties or other articles from a car and deliver them to a loading tram or the like adjacent the car.

A further object of the invention is to provide a compact and efiicient mechanism of the character described which may be mounted on a track and readily moved from one car to another.

A further object is to provide a portable jib crane mechanism having a curved boom member arranged to swing through the side door of a freight car in one direction so as to extend to one end of the car and also capable of reversal to swing in the opposite direction so as to extend to the other end of the car.

A further object is to provide an improved control mechanism for the loading and unloading mechanism.

A further object is to provide a jib crane mechanism for loading and unloading railway cars having a novel and improved boom structure and a novel and improved tie hook combined therewith. I

Other objects and advantages of the invention, not specifically enumerated, will become apparent during the course of the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section of the crane structure and operating mechanism embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the jib crane mechanism,

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 showing a cable guide sheave mounting.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of the column support showing the means for elevating and lowering the boom,

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the relative arrangement of the limit switches and operating means therefor,

Fig. 6 is a sectional view drum and motor drive therefor,

Fig. 'l is an elevation, partly in section showing the power connection and power cable reel carried by the hoist truck,

Fig. 8 is a sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 9 is a plan view of the loading mechanism showing the boom extending into a, box car, which is shown in horizontal section,

Fig. 10 is an end elevation with the car in vertical section,

Fig. 1 1 is a plan view, partly in section showing the connection between the main and auxiliary arms of the boom,

Fig. 12 is an elevation, at right angles to Fig. 9,

Fig. 13 is a sectional view taken on the line |3-|3 of Fig. 11,

Fig. 14 is a plan view, partly in section of the hoisting cable sheave mounting at the tip of the boom,

Fig. 15 is a side view thereof,

Fig. 16 is a wiring diagram of the power supply and control circuits for the mechanism,

Fig. 17 is a plan view of the tie hook forming part of the apparatus,

Fig. 18 is a side elevation thereof,

Fig. 19 is a section on the line |9|9 of Fig. 17,

Fig. 20 is a section on the line 2|i--20 of Fig. 17,

Fig. 21 is an enlarged plan view of one end of the tie hook,

Fig. 22 is an enlarged side elevation thereof, and

Fig. 23 is a fragmentary end view of the handle bar control member.

Referring more particularly to the details of construction of the apparatus, the jib crane, generally designated 25 is mounted on a counterweighted truck 26 provided with flanged wheels 21 for running on a narrow gauge track 28 laid alongside the railway track 29 on which the freight cars 30 are disposed.

The truck 26 carries an uprighttubular base 3| which extends above and below the level of the platform of the truck and is securely bolted in position thereon. A vertically adjustable tubular column member 32 is disposed in the bore of the base, and slidably keyed thereto as at 33. The column 32, which may be called the outer column is raised or lowered with respect to the base 3| by means of a jack screw 34 and threaded trunnions 35 and 36 carried by the base 3| and column 32, respectively. The jack screw is operated by a reversible partly in section, taken illustrating the hoist ratchet mechanism 3| provided with an operating lever 38, to raise and lower the column 32.

A swivel column 38, telescoped within the upper end of the column 32 is rotatably mounted therein. The upper end of the column 32 carries an annular ring 48 formed to provide a seat for one race of the roller bearing assembly 4| and the column 39 has an annular ring 42 rigidly mounted intermediate the ends thereof, said ring forming a seat for the other race of the bearing assembly 4|. The inner end of the swivel column is journalled axially of the outer column. A swivel plate 43 secured to the inner end of the column 39 carries an axially disposed swivel shaft which is journalled in a bearing spider 45 rigidly mounted in the column 32 by means of a ball bearing assembly 48.

The swivel column 38 is provided with a T- head 41 in the form of a tubular bearing member disposed on a horizontal axis. The tubular bearing head is rigidly secured to the column 38 as by welding 48 to form an integral rigid unit.

A removable locking pin L is provided to lock the inner and outer columns against relative rotary movement when the crane is idle or being moved from one location to another.

A boom 49, of special form, has a straight horizontally disposed portion 58, one end of which is journalled in the tubular bearing head 41, the head being provided with bearing bushings at each end thereof for seating the inner end of the boom. The outer end of the straight horizontal portion 58 of the boom is connected to a curved arm 52 through an elbow joint 53. The curved arm portion 52 of the boom 49 is curved substantially to the arc of a circle with the center of the swivel column as a center. length of suitable tubing but may be more conveniently assembled from sections of suitable piping having welded joints 54.

The curved portion 52 of the boom 48 is normally disposed in a horizontal plane passing through the horizontal end portion 58. An auxiliary tubular arm 55 is pivoted at one end on the free end of the curved arm 52 for swinging movement in the plane of the curved arm and has a swiveled sheave mounted at the free end thereof.

The hinge connection of the auxiliary arm 55 to the end of the curved boom arm 52, which also includes hoisting cable guide sheaves, is shown in detail in Figs. 11 to 13. A, hinge bracket 56, having a tubular portion secured as by welding 51 to the end of the curved arm 52, is formed with spaced ears or knuckles 58. A forked bracket 59, threaded on the end of the auxiliary arm 55, is formed with spaced bosses 68 dimensioned to enter between the ears 58 of the bracket 56. The bosses 58 carry pivot pins 8| and 82 which are journalled in the ears 58 by means of ball bearings 83.

In order to provide a guide for the hoist cable 84, which passes axially through the ends of the arm 52 and auxiliary arm 55, when the arm is swung about its pivotal axis, a pair of guide sheaves 65 are mounted side by side in a sheave yoke 55 by means of sheave pins 51. The guide sheaves 65 are disposed so that their adjacent peripheral surfaces approach the axial centers of the pivot pins 8| and 82 as seen in Fig. 13 whereby the hoist cable will pass around either one or the other of said sheaves dependlation to the curved arm 52. The sheave yoke 68 is mounted in position between the bosses 58 by means of a bearing pin 58 axially seated in the inner end of the pivot pin GI and connected to the yoke by a threaded stud 68.

The swivel sheave mounting at the free end of the auxiliary arm 55 is shown in detail in Figs. 14 and 15. This mounting includes a swivel head 18 which is formed with a hollow stub shaft 1| journalled on ball bearings 12 in a bearing retaining sleeve 13 which latter is The boom could be formed from a ing upon which way the arm 55 is swung in rethreaded into the end of arm 55 as indicated at 14. A retaining ring 15 prevents endwise disengagement of the swivel sheave from the bearing mount. A ball bearing guide sheave 15 is mounted on a sheave pin 11 which extends through side wall portions of the swivel head, the latter forming an open bottomed housing for the sheave 16.

A buffer spring 18, formed of spring metal strips, is secured on the swivel head to protect the same when in use.

The pivotal axis of auxiliary arm 55 is vertically disposed when the curved boom arm i in the normal horizontal position which it assumes during use of the jib-crane so that the auxiliary arm can swing in a horizontal plane to shilt the load to or from any position in the area within the car.

As described above, the straight inner end 58 of the boom is journalled in the T-head 41 of the column 39. This mounting permits axial motion of the boom through an angle of 180 to dispose the curved arm on either side of the axis of the straight portion so as to extend to either end of the freight car from the same side thereof.

A motor drive is provided for swinging the .boom about its horizontal pivot between its opposite horizontal positions of operation. A gear segment 18 is rigidly mounted on the boom end 58 adjacent the column 38 and a reversible electric motor 88 connected through reduction gearing 8| and pinion 82 in driving relation with the gear segment 18 is mounted on the T-head 41. The driving motor 88 is part of a unit including an enclosed solenoid brake. A manual release lever 83 is provided for manually releasing the solenoid brake. A pair of limit switches 84 and is mounted on each side of the T-head 41. The switches 84 are push button type switches and are operated by set screws 88 carried by a projection of the boom gear segment 18 and arranged so that as the boom approaches its limit of movement as it is swung over from one side to the other, one of the set screws engages the button operator 81 of its associated limit switch 84 to close the hoist side of the circuit of the hoist motor 93 to be described in connection with the wirin diagram of Figure 16.

The limit switches 85 are of the side roller type and are operated by cams 88 fastened to the face of the boom gear 18. The limit switches 85 are connected in the pilot circuit controlling the arm turning motor 88.

The hoist cable 84 is connected at one end to a hoist drum 89 fixed on a shaft 88 which is iournalled in ball bearings 8| carried by a drum casing 82 which is mounted on the T-head 41 of the column 38 adjacent the inner end of the boom portion 58. The hoist is operated by a reversible electric motor 83 through a reduction drive including a sprocket chain 84 and sprockets 35 and 85 on the hoist drum shaft 88 and motor shaft 81, respectively.

The hoist cable 54 passes from the hoist drum 88 axially through the straight horizontal part tical pivot pin. I21 between spaced plates I28 50 of the boom to the elbow 53. At this point, secured to the upper and lower flanges of the the cable passes through an opening in the curve I-beams I06 and I01 and extending beyond the of the elbow 53 around a guide sheave 98 and thence along the outside of the curved portion 52 of the boom arm, passing over guide sheaves 89 mounted on the curved arm. From the last of the guide sheaves 88, the cable passes into the tubular arm to the guide sheaves 65 at the pivotal connection of the auxiliary arm 55 to the end of the curved arm 52. As previously described, the cable passes axially through the auxiliary arm 55,\over the swiveled sheave roller 16 and thence to the tie hook I00.

The guide sheaves 98 and 99 include an inverted U-shaped bracket IOI bolted to the arm 49, the ball bearing sheave I02 being mounted on a pin I03 passed through the sides of the bracket and held in place by a cotter pin I04.

The tie hook I comprises a main frame consisting of two telescoping members I and I 01, the outer ends of which support the tie engaging elements later described. The frame member I05 is formed at its outer end of an I-section I06 while its inner end is bifurcated to have telescoping engagement with the frame member I01. The inner end of the frame member I05 consists of two parallel channel members I08 disposed back to back in spaced relation and connected at one end to the I-section I06 by means of bridge plates I09 and web connecting straps H0.

The frame member I01 rides on flanged rollers III journalled on flanged roller pins II2 secured to the confronting faces of the channel members I08 by nuts II3 on the reduced threaded ends thereof which project through the webs of the channel members. The flanged guide rollers are in spaced pairs and have tapered faces to conform to the contour of the flanges of the I-beam I01. The channel members I08 are held in spaced relation by bottom tie plates II 4 riveted or otherwise secured to the bottom flanges of the channel members I00 and also by tiestraps II5 bridging the top flanges thereof.

A cable sheave H6 is mounted between the channel members I08 at a point substantially midway of the over-all length of the tie hook, the sheave being mounted on a sealed ball hearing II 1 carried on a bearing sleeve II8 on a sheave pin H9 extending through alined openings in the webs of the channel members. The sheave pin H9 is secured against withdrawal by a cotter pin I20 passing through one end thereof and a locking plate I2I engages the headed end thereof.

The sheave H6 is centered between the channel members I08 by means of cable guide blocks I22 which have their upper surfaces bevelled toward the sheave. The cable guide blocks I22 are mounted on the sheave pin H0 and also have flanges I23 which underlie the lower flanges of the channel members I08 and are suitably secured thereto. The tie plates 4 are spaced to permit mounting of the blocks I 22 and the adjacent ends thereof are additionally cut away as at I24 to facilitate threading of the cable 64 around the sheave H6. The cable 64 after passing around the sheave H6 is connected to the inner end of the frame member I01 as indicated at I25.

Tie engaging fittings of substantially identical construction are mounted at the outer ends of the frame members I05 and I01. These fittings include a pivoted cross yoke I26 carried by a ver- .frame member I 01 ends thereof. The yokes are resiliently centered at right angles to the I-beams by equalizer springs I28 extending between the ends of the yokes and the I-beams I01 and I06, respectively.

The yokes I26 each carry two swivelled hangers I30, one at each end thereof. The hangers are connected to the yokes by a hinge joint I3I and each includes a' pair of depending divergent fingers I32 and I33 which terminate at their lower ends in bosses I34 forming a socket for steel points I35. The steel points face inwardly to grip the ends of ties disposed between the end fittings. Springs I29a resiliently center the hangers I30 in a neutral position at right angles to the axis of the frame.

The tie hook will engage four ties laid side by side. In order that the outside ties will be gripped with greater force than the inside ties, the relative length and angular disposition of the fingers I32 and I33 is such that the point of suspension of the hangers is offset toward the outer finger of each hanger as can be seen from an inspection of Fig. 21.

A handle bar I36 is mounted at the end of the beyond the tie gripping'fitting thereon. t

The handle bar extends at right angles to the frame member and is supported'by extensions of the plates I28 which are bolted to a central projecting part I31 of the bar. Semi-enclosed wooden hand grips I38 are provided at the ends of the handle bar.

The handle bar is formed to provide an open faced housing I between the hand grips I38. A latch lever I40 pivoted at I4I on the upper wall I42 of housing I38 is provided with a thumb plate I43 at one end thereof and is connected at its other end to alatch rod I44 which extends through the rear wall of the housing and is connected at its other end to a pivoted latch plate I45. The latch plate I45 is pivoted on the upper plate I28 at I46 and is biased by a spring I41 to latching position against the end of a rod I48 which is mounted on the frame member I05 and slides through a guide yoke I45 on the plate I28. In the position shown, the latch plate I45 prevents telescoping movement of the framemembers to tie engaging position. Rocking of, the lever I40 by depressing the thumb plate I43 results in retraction of the latch plate I45 against the tension of the spring I41 to permit closing telescoping movement of the frame members.

A pair of push button switches I 50 and I 5| mounted in the housing I39 control the circuits to the hoist motor 93.

Electric power for operation of the hoist and boom reversing motors is taken off from plug-in stations I52 the dock. These stations include an outlet receptacle I53. An electric cable reel-up mechanism I54 mounted on the truck 26 includes an automatic reel I55 for the power cable I56. The

which are spaced at intervals along truck 26. From the reel-up device Ill, the cable passes to suitable control mechanism mounted on the hoist (olumn. Since the structure of the switches of the control apparatus per se form no part of the present invention, the wiring diagram of Fig. 16 will serve to illustrate the system.

In the wiring diagram, "I1 is the power line. I53 is the station receptacle, Ill is the reel-up device for the cable I and I is a master switch for opening or closing the main circuit. The circuit to the reversible hoist motor 63 is controlled by magnetically operated'switches I66 and I66, these switches being operated by a pilot circuit including the push button switches I50 and iii.

The push button switch III controls the pilot circuit through the magnetic operator I61 which operates the switch lit in the hoist side of the motor circuit. The limit switches 64 are connected in series in the pilot circuit of the hoist switch I66 so that the motor cannot be operated unless the boom arm is resting on one or the other of the fixed stops in one of its operative positions. This is a safeguard against overloading the boom turning gear in case the solenoid brake of the arm turning motor is not released after revers-' ing the position of the boom. The solenoid brakes for the motors Ill and 83 are indicated at 80a and 93a, respectively. e

The push button switch ISI controls the pilot circuit through the magnetic operator I68 which operates the switch I66 in the reverse or lowering side of the hoist motor circuit.

The arm motor 80 is controlled by magnetically operated switches I and I'll which for convenience will be described as controlling the forward and reverse sides of the motor circuit, respectively. The pilot circuit to the magnetic operator I12 of the switch I" is controlled by a push button switch I13 and the circuit to magnetic operator I" of the reversing switch III is controlled by a push button switch I15. The boom arm turning motor may be stopped with the boom in an intermediate position by actuating a stop switch I16 which opens the motor circuit.

One of the limit switches 65 is inserted in the pilot circuit to each of the magnetic operators 112 and I14 to open the circuit to stop the motor when the arm approaches its limit of movement in either direction.

The control wires for the hoist motor switches are run through' a flexible cable I60 from the magnetic switches mounted on the crane and the cable runs to a portable stand ltl placed on the track 28 adjacent the truck 26. This stand consists of a tripod, the legs i621 of which support a vertically disposed section of pipe. This pipe supports a heavy coil spring which is slipped over the upper end thereof and the coil spring disposed with its axis vertical, supports an upstanding piece of light tubing. The cable runs up through the pipe and out through the top of the tube which is about twelve feet above track level and from this point loops downwardly and extends to the tie hook, the ends of the control wires being connected to the respective control switches I50 and IS! on the tie hook by a suitable plug connection.

.In the operation of the apparatus, for instance in loading ties from a tie tram I" on narrow gauge track I86 paralleling track 28, into a freight car as illustrated in Fig. 9, it is preferable to employ an operator and a helper. With the truck 26 and jib crane in the position shown,

with respect to the freight car and tram, the operator grasps the'handles I of the tie hook and swings thesame into position above the ties on the tram. At this time, the frame members of the hook are latched in extended position by latch plate I66. The operator then depresses the button Ill to operate the hoist motor in a direction to lower the hook over the ties to be lifted. The latch H5 is then released by pressing on the end of lever I40 and push button III is depressed to operate the hoist motor to take up the cable 64. The tightening of cable 64 acts first to telescope the tie hook to bring the points of the hanger fittings into engagement with the ends of the ties and then raises the tie hook and the ties clamped therein. When the hook has been raised sufficiently to clear the ties on the tram the helper grasps the end opposite the operator an moves toward the door of the car. This tends to straighten the auxiliary arm 65 and starts the curved boom arm swinging about its vertical pivot. The ties are then guided through the car door, the operator adjusting the height by manipulation of the switches I" and III so that as the ties are moved to position over the rick, they are near the correct elevation to be deposited. The operator then lowers the ties and continues operation of the hoist motor to get suflicient slack in the hoist rope to permit the tie hook to be extended to open position by pulling on the handles. With the hook latched in extended position, the hoist motor is operated to raise the hook sufllciently to clear the ties and the hook is then swung out of the car over to the tram and the operation is repeated.

After one end of the car is loaded, the arm turning motor is operated to swing the boom arm over on its horizontal pivot to the other side and the truck 26 is moved down to a position at which the boom will swing into the car through the side door toward the other end.

When unloading a car, the operation is reversed.

It will be observed that very little head room is required within the car so that the ties may be loaded to within about 16 inches of the top of the door. Also since the auxiliary arm swings freely in a horizontal plane, at the end of the curved boom arm, the ties can be loaded or removed from any position in the car.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been shown and described by way of illustration, it is to be understood that various modifications and changes in the details of construction and operation may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

In a car loading and unloading apparatus, a boom support mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, a boom mounted 'on said support having' a substantially straight inner portion extending horizontally from said support and a horizontally disposed curved outer portion arranged upon rotation of said support to move into and out of said car, and an auxiliary arm pivotally con- 17 tive position in which the curved arm portion is horizontally disposed, and an auxiliary arm pivotally connected to the outer end of said curved arm portion for swinging movement in a horizontal plane with said boom arm in normal operative position.

3. In cal-loading and unloading apparatus, a boom support mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, a boom mounted on said support comprising a straight horizontal arm portion projecting from said support and a curved arm portion extending from the outer end of said straight arm portion, a hoist-cable actuated article gripping member, a hoist cable having an end depending from the end of said boom arm and-connected to said gripping member, a hoist motor for taking up and paying out said cable, and means on said gripping member for controlling the operation of said hoist motor.

4. In a car loading and unloading apparatus of the character described, a portable truck, a rotatable upright column member mounted on said truck and a boom member comprising a straight horizontal inner section mounted at one end on said column and a horizontally disposed curved outer section extending from the outer end of said inner section in an arc with the axis of said upright column as a center, power operated hoist means for manipulating a load at the free end of said curved section of said boom, whereby with said truck positioned adjacent the side door of a car the free end of saidboom and a load supported thereby may be swung through the door into or out-of the end of the car upon rotation of the column and the boom the column.

5. In a car loading and unloading apparatus of the character described, a portable truck, a rotatable upright column member mounted on said truck and a boom member comprising a straight horizontal section mounted at one end on said column and a curved horizontal section extending from the other end of said straight horizontal section, a hoist drum mounted on said column, a hoist cable connected at one end to said drum and having its other end depending from the end of said boom, power actuated means for driving said hoist drum, a tie hook connected to the depending end of said hoist cable and means for controlling said power actuated means including manually operated control elements mounted on said tie hook.

6. In a car loading and unloading apparatus of the character described, a portable truck, a rotatable upright column member mounted on said truck and a boom member comprising a straight horizontal section mounted at one end on said column and a curved sectionextending from the other end of said horizontal section in an arc with the axis of said column as a center, an electrically operated hoist drum mounted on said column, a hoist cable connected at one end to said hoist drum and having its other end depending from the end of said boom member, a tie hook connected to the depending end of said cable, and means for controlling the actuation of said electrically operated hoist drum from said tie hook including circuit control elements on said tie hook. v

7. In a car loading and unloading apparatus, a portable truck, an upright rotatable column member mounted on said truck, a tubular boom member comprising a straight horizontal portion journalled at one end on said column and a curved horizontal portion extending from the about the axis of an arc with the axis of said column as a center,

i an auxiliary arm member hinged to the end of the curved portion of said boom, guide sheaves mounted at the hinge, a swiveled sheave mounted at the outer end of said auxiliary arm, a hoist drum mounted on said column, a hoist cable having one end connected to said drum, guide means on said boom for said cable, said cable passing from said drum over said guide means and said sheaves at said hinge and over said swiveled sheave at the end of said auxiliary arm.

8. In a car loading and unloading apparatus,

a portable truck, an upright rotatable column member mounted on said truck, a tubular boom member comprising a straight horizontal portion journalled at one end on said column and a curved horizontal portion extending from the other end of said straight horizontal portion in an arc with the axis of said column as a center, an auxiliary arm member hinged to the end of the curved portion of said boom, guide sheaves mounted at the hinge, a swiveled sheave mounted at the outer end of said auxiliary arm, an electrically operated hoist drum mounted on said column, a hoist cable having one end connected to said drum, guide means on said boom for said cable, said cable passing from said drum over said guide means and said sheaves at said hinge and over said swiveled sheave at the end of said auxiliary arm, a tie hook connected to the end of said cable depending from said auxiliary and means including circuit control elements on said tie hook for controlling the operation of said hoist drum from said tie hook.

9. In a car loading and unloading apparatus, a portable truck, an upright rotatable column mounted on said truck, a boom comprising a straight horizontal inner end portion mounted on said column and a curved horizontal outer end portion, an auxiliary arm hinged to the outer end of said boom to swing in a plane common to the straight and curved portions thereof, a motor-driven hoist drum mounted on said column, a hoist cable wound on said drum, guide means on said boom arm for said cable, a tie hook suspended from said auxiliary arm by said cable, and means including circuit control devices on said tie hook for controlling the operaon said drum, guide meanson said boom arm for said cable, a tie hook suspended from said auxiliary arm by said cable, means including circuit control devices on said tie hook for controlling the operation of the motor-driven hoist drum from said tie hook, means for swinging said boom arm about the axis of the straight horizontal end portion thereof to dispose said curved portion in either one of two opposite operative positions in horizontal alinement with said straight portion, and means for rendering said hoist inoperative when said boom arm is in other positions.

11. In a car loading and unloading apparatus,

a portable truck, a boom support mounted on said truck comprising a tubular base member, an upright outer column member slidably mounted in said base member, means for elevating and lowering said outer column member with respect to said base, an inner column member journalled in the upper end of said outer column member, a horizontally disposed tubular head mounted on said inner column member, a boom comprising a straight horizontal inner end portion j ournalled in said tubular head on a horizontal axis, a curved normally horizontal outer end portion describing an arc with the axis of rotation of said inner column as a center, and'means for rotating said boom about the horizontal axis of the inner end portion thereof to dispose said curved portion in either one of two oppositely disposed operative positions in the horizontal plane of said straight portion.

12. In a car loading and unloading apparatus, a portable truck, an upright rotatable column mounted on said truck, means for elevating and lowering said column with respect to said truck, a boom comprising a straight horizontal inner end portion journalled on the upper end of said column and a curved outer end portion describing an arc with the axis of said column as a center, an auxiliary arm hinged to the outer end of said boom to swing in a plane common to the straight and curved normally horizontal portions thereof, a motor-driven hoist drum mounted on said column, a gear carried by said horizontal inner end portion of said boom arm, a motor carried by said column in driving engagement with said gear for rotating said boom arm about the axis of the horizontal portion thereof, a hoist cable wound on said drum, guide means on said boom arm for said cable, a tie hook suspended irom said auxiliary arm by said cable, and means including circuit control devices on said tie hook for controlling the operation of the motor-driven hoist drum from said tie hook.

13. In a car loading and unloading apparatus, a boom support mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, a boom having an inner substantially straight horizontal portion journalled on said support for rotation about its own axis and an outer curved portion arranged upon rotation of said support to move into and out of said car, and means for rotating said boom about the horizontal axis of the inner end portion thereof to dispose said curved portion in either of two oppositely disposed normal horizontal positions of operation.

14. In a car loading and unloading apparatus,

a boom support mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, a tubular boom member mounted on said support having a curved outer portion arranged upon rotation of said support to move into and out of said car, an auxiliary arm member hinged to the outer end of said curved portion of said boom, cable guide means mounted at the hinge point 01' said auxiliary arm to said boom, cable guide means at the: free end of said auxiliary arm, a hoist drum mounted on said support, a hoist cable connected at one end to said drum, said cable passing through the guide means at said hinge point and at the end of said auxiliary arm, and article gripping means connected to said cable.

15. In a car loading and unloading apparatus, a portable truck, an upright rotatable column member mounted on said truck, means for elevating and lowering said column, a horizontally disposed tubular head mounted on said column member, a tubular boom member comprising a straight horizontal inner end portion journalled in said tubular head and a curved outer end portion normally disposed in horizontal alinement with said inner end, a gear segment carried by the boom arm adjacent said column head. a motor mounted on said head in driving connection with said gear for rotating said boom arm about its horizontal axis, an auxiliary arm member hinged to the end of the curved portion of said boom, the pivotal axis oi. said auxiliary arm being vertically disposed when said arm is in its normal horizontal position, cable guide sheaves mounted on either side of said pivotal axis, a hoist drum mounted on said column adjacent the inner end of said boom arm, a hoist cable wound on said drum, said hoist cable passing from said drum axially through the straight portion of said boom thence outwardly around the outer side of the curved portion thereof and back into said boom arm adjacent the end thereof and through said guide sheaves at the hinge point of said auxiliary arm, said cable passing axially through said auxiliary arm and extending from the end thereof.

16. In a car loading and unloading apparatus, a portable truck, an upright rotatable support mounted on said truck, a boom comprising a substantially straight horizontal inner end por--' tion journalled on the upper end of said support for rotation about its own axis and a curved normally horizontal outer end portion, and means for rotating said boom arm about the axis of said horizontal inner end portion thereof to dispose said curved portion in either of two oppoite operative positions in horizontal alinement therewith.

17. In apparatus as defined in claim 16, a motor driven hoist means mounted on said support, a hoist cable actuated by said hoist means, guide means on said boom arm for said cable, and means for rendering said hoist means inoperative when said boom arm is in other than one of its operative positions.

18. In car loading and unloading apparatus, a boom support mounted to rotate about a vertical axis, a boom mounted on said support comprising a substantially straight horizontally disposed inner portion extending radially from said support and a horizontally disposed curved outer portion extending from the outer end oi said inner portion in an arc with the axis of said boom support as a center, hoist means for manipulating a load at the free end of said curved outer portion of said boom, whereby the free end of said boom and a load supported therefrom may be swung through the door of a car into or out of the end thereof upon rotation of said boom about the vertical axis of said support.

GEORGE F. WIESE. 

